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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8128034 | Rotorcraft with opposing roll mast moments, and related methods In rotorcraft having rotors on multiple masts, a controller causes opposing roll mast moments to be applied to the different rotors. In preferred embodiments, the opposing roll moment is the result of increasing the lift on the advancing blade and reducing the lift ... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8087616 | Method and system for aviation navigation A system operates to guide an aircraft to or along a route designed to maintain the aircraft within a safe glide distance of an acceptable emergency landing area. The system uses a database of emergency landing areas with glide characteristics of an aircraft to dete... | 01/03/2012 |
| 7874521 | Method and system for aviation navigation A system operates to guide an aircraft to or along a route designed to maintain the aircraft within a safe glide distance of an acceptable emergency landing area. The system uses a database of emergency landing areas with glide characteristics of an aircraft to dete... | 01/25/2011 |
| 7841563 | Ducted fan air data system An air data system and method for a ducted fan air-vehicle is described. The air data system includes a plurality of air pressure sensors placed around a lip of an air duct of the ducted fan air-vehicle. The air data system calculates the speed and direction of airf... | 11/30/2010 |
| 7571878 | Method and a calculating unit for calculation of a recovery flight path A method for calculating a flight path avoiding a collision with the ground when an aircraft dives towards the ground. The method includes receiving signals including information of a dive angle of the aircraft in relation to the imaginary ground plane, and a presen... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7568662 | Emergency flight control system A method and system for preventing the control of an aircraft from the cockpit. In an exemplary embodiment, the system could be triggered externally. For example, an air traffic control (ATC) station could determine that the aircraft has deviated from its planned fl... | 08/04/2009 |
| 7556224 | Distributed flight control surface actuation system An aircraft flight control surface actuation system includes a plurality of flap actuators, and a plurality of slat actuators. The actuators receive actuator position commands from an actuator control unit and, in response, move flaps and slats between stowed and de... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7438259 | Compound aircraft control system and method The Invention is a control system for a compound aircraft. A compound aircraft has features of both a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft and provides redundant control options. The control system allows an authorized person to select any of plurality of control bi... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7431243 | Guidance and control for an autonomous soaring UAV The present invention provides a practical method for UAVs to take advantage of thermals in a manner similar to piloted aircrafts and soaring birds. In general, the invention is a method for a UAV to autonomously locate a thermal and be guided to the thermal to grea... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7380756 | Single dielectric barrier aerodynamic plasma actuation A single dielectric barrier aerodynamic plasma actuator apparatus based on the dielectric barrier discharge phenomenon is disclosed and suggested for application to aerodynamic uses for drag reduction, stall elimination and airfoil efficiency improvement. In the pla... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7370836 | Missile defense system and methods for evading heat seeking missiles A method for aiding a helicopter pilot to avoid a heat seeking missile includes the step of detecting a threat from a missile. The method also includes the step of reducing heat emanating from the helicopter's engine and rapidly reducing altitude. Then, when the thr... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7367531 | Systems and methods for evading heat seeking missles A method and system in an airborne aircraft to evade a heat seeking missile includes the steps of detecting the launch or “lock on” of a heat seeking missile and reducing the radiation from the aircraft's engine by reducing the engine speed to idle. The method m... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7364121 | Methods and systems for automatically controlling aircraft takeoff rolls Methods and systems for automatically controlling aircraft takeoff rolls. A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes receiving an indication of a target takeoff roll path for an aircraft, and automatically controlling a direction of an airc... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7363119 | Methods and systems for automatically displaying information, including air traffic control instructions Systems and methods for handling incoming aircraft operation instructions are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes receiving from a source off-board an aircraft an instruction for changing a characteristic of the aircraft, ... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7350748 | Modular construction of an aircraft control system Apparatus is disclosed for disabling on-board pilot operation of an aircraft and transferring aircraft operation to an alternate source of control. The aircraft has an aircraft control system for controlling at least one controlled component, such as an aircraft att... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7343228 | Transient cancellation technique for spacecraft solar wing stepping A method and apparatus for controlling a plurality of solar panels of a spacecraft is described. The method comprises the steps of providing a first step command to a first solar panel, and providing a second step command to a second solar panel at a time of a trans... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7343232 | Vehicle control system including related methods and components Embodiments are disclosed for a vehicle control system and related sub-components that together provide an operator with a plurality of specific modes of operation, wherein various modes of operation incorporate different levels of autonomous control. Through a cont... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7285932 | Method and apparatus for loss of control inhibitor systems Active and adaptive systems and methods to prevent loss of control incidents by providing tactile feedback to a vehicle operator are disclosed. According to the present invention, an operator gives a control input to an inceptor. An inceptor sensor measures an incep... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7285933 | Method and apparatus for loss of control inhibitor systems Active and adaptive systems and methods to prevent loss of control incidents by providing tactile feedback to a vehicle operator are disclosed. According to the present invention, an operator gives a control input to an inceptor. An inceptor sensor measures an incep... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7275493 | Hydrofoil watercraft A watercraft capable of operating in hydrofoil mode or ground-effect mode with self-righting retractable V-shaped foil, fiberoptic control systems, and a plurality of aircraft style engines with variable pitch propellers for speed and direction control. The V-shaped... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7184863 | Monitoring and control system for manned vehicles A monitoring and control system for manned vehicles is being proposed, wherein an automatic early-on recognition of emergencies and an automatic specification of measures to be taken in accordance with a separate escalation assessment concerning the development of t... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7182296 | Methods and apparatus for error-tolerant wrap-back ACE monitor Methods and apparatus are provided for more reliably transferring operational control for various aircraft flight control surfaces from a first sub-system to a second sub-system. The present invention provides an Actuator Control Electronics (ACE) wrap-back module t... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7165747 | Method and device for guiding an aircraft for aiding parachute drops The device (1) for guiding an aircraft at least over an intermediate trajectory between a first flight trajectory for a low-altitude flight and a second flight trajectory which starts at an initial point, and from which trajectory a parachute drop is carried ... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7162335 | Graphic airways displays for flight management systems Methods and apparatus are provided for interactively building flight paths for entry into an aircraft flight management system (FMS). The apparatus comprises a database containing map information, a display for presenting the map information, a user controlled curso... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7132960 | Approach monitoring and advisory system and method A system, method, and computer program product are provided for monitoring for high energy landing approaches and advising a flight crew of an aircraft. Specific aircraft energy is predicted at a touchdown zone of a runway. The predicted specific energy is compared ... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7103455 | Man/machine interface for control of the automatic pilot for piloted aerodyne provided with an ATN transmission network terminal This MCP/FCU interface (30) for control of the automatic pilot (13) and/or flight director (14) is provided with an access port linked to the ATN terminal (2) by a digital information transmission link (4) and furnished with displa... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7098811 | Method and apparatus for tactile cueing of aircraft controls A method and apparatus for tactile cueing of aircraft controls (21) is disclosed. The apparatus of the present invention warns pilots of approaching limits on certain aircraft performance parameters. The most common warnings are for rotor speed exceeding a mo... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7065891 | Accelerometer augmented precision compass A compass device includes a platform defining an xz-plane and an x-axis. A first accelerometer is coupled to the platform at an angle such that the first accelerometer is sensitive to movement of the first accelerometer in the xz-plane. The first accelerometer inclu... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7035765 | Disaster predicting method, disaster predicting apparatus, disaster predicting program, and computer-readable recording medium recorded with disaster predicting program A disaster predicting method, a disaster predicting apparatus, a disaster predicting program, and a computer-readable recording medium recorded with a disaster predicting program, which automatically order satellite image data based on periodically observed or predi... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7015829 | Method for displaying flight information A method for displaying flight information includes displaying a first characteristic sign illustrating a speed vector of an aircraft. The method also includes determining a first longitudinal margin of maneuver of the aircraft as a load factor, and displaying a sec... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7014141 | Unmanned airborne reconnaissance system An unmanned airborne reconnaissance system, the unmanned airborne reconnaissance system including a lightweight, portable, powered aircraft and a foldable launch rail, the aircraft, in a broken down condition and the launch rail in a broken down condition fitable in... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6980128 | Display system for an aircraft A display system for an aircraft includes a central unit configured to determine a speed vector of the aircraft and to determine a longitudinal margin of maneuver of the aircraft. The longitudinal margin of maneuver is expressed as a load factor and is related to on... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6948681 | Automated cargo transportation system A modular automated air transport system comprising an unmanned autonomous aircraft having a selectively detachable control systems portion and a structural air frame portion, wherein the structural air frame portion contains an interior cargo hold, aerodynamic memb... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6937166 | Process and device for aiding the piloting of an aircraft The device (1) for aiding piloting comprises means (2) for determining a speed vector of the aircraft, means of depiction (4) for presenting on a display screen (6) a first characteristic sign illustrating the speed vector of the aircraft... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6922631 | System and method for textually displaying an original flight plan and a modified flight plan simultaneously A navigational system includes a display device and logic that simultaneously presents a textual display of an original flight plan and a modified flight plan on the display device. The textual display includes a textlist of waypoints that are on the original flight... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6909205 | Motor assembly allowing output in multiple degrees of freedom A motor allowing multiple degrees of output freedom includes a stator having an interior surface forming at least a portion of a sphere or curved surface and first and second substantially orthogonally positioned stator coils wound on the interior surface. A rotor i... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6886786 | Engine thrust management—new design architecture An engine thrust management system comprising an engine control device, an aircraft flight manual, a flight management device and a cockpit instrument device. The engine control device is operable to calculate a percent maximum available thrust parameter and a perce... | 05/03/2005 |
| 6885917 | Enhanced flight control systems and methods for a jet powered tri-mode aircraft A method of stabilizing a jet-powered tri-mode aircraft as the aircraft travels in a helicopter mode, a compound mode, and a fixed-wing mode is disclosed. The method includes receiving a plurality of velocity vector component values and velocity vector commands deri... | 04/26/2005 |
| 6863242 | Method and system for controlling an aircraft control surface A system for controlling an aircraft control surface may include a control surface having at least two control surface elements mounted to rotate about an axis on a stabilizer element of the aircraft. An actuator with at least two actuating devices moves the control... | 03/08/2005 |
| 6859694 | System and method for proxy filing and closing of flight plans The present invention provides a system and method for filing and closing of flight plans. With the present invention, a computing device is provided that includes a flight plan filing device that is capable of electronically transmitting a flight plan to an airport... | 02/22/2005 |
